Arsenal are keen to take their ambitious summer transfer window to the next level with a shock move for Inter forward Lautaro Martinez.
The Gunners have already made deals to sign Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, and they are also set to land Brighton center-back Ben White for a cool £ 50 million.
Arsenal would like to support Mikel Arteta / Steve Welsh / Getty Images
Mikel Arteta also has plans to add a new goalkeeper and a second midfielder, but according to The Telegraph, his focus is now on signing a new striker and an investigation has been made about Martinez.
The 23-year-old, who is seen by many as one of the best young strikers on the planet, collected 19 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season when Inter finally ended Juventus’ dominance in Serie A.
Most of Europe’s top sides have previously expressed interest in Martinez, and Arsenal have now joined in the fun, although the Inter response has been less than encouraging.
The Nerazzurri are not interested in losing Martinez, and after selling Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain, they have no urgent need to earn a valuable asset as the Argentine.
Factor in the idea that Martinez is probably not particularly keen on switching Inter to a team that finished eighth in the Premier League last season, and you will see why the chances of this deal going further are incredibly slim, even though club director Edu is still determined to make a big splash this summer.
Arsenal are on a mission to return to relevance next season and those in charge have accepted the need for a massive overhaul of the squad, and ambitious goals like Martinez are a real indication of how seriously the Gunners are taking their aim.
Martinez has two years left on his contract / SOPA Images / Getty Images
Their chances of signing Martinez are likely due to his contract situation. He has two years left on his current deal and was reluctant to sign an extension not so long ago, although Martinez’s agent recently confirmed that new talks are underway.
If Martinez rejects the chance to stay, he can hit the market and there is no lack of interest. Sources have confirmed for 90 minutes that Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have all asked to be kept informed of his situation, while both Real Madrid and Barcelona are still interested.
